STURGIS, S.D. – Tessa Otto has put about 8,000 miles on her Harley-Davidson Street Glide this summer, and she’s being paid to do it.

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior is one of eight college students getting paid to ride motorcycles and document their experiences as Harley-Davidson summer interns.

This week, Otto rolled into the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on her twisted-cherry-colored bike, named Fiona. It’s practically brand new, a perk from the internship, and she gets to keep it when the summer’s over.

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A motorcyclist rides through a rock tunnel near Mount Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota. Mount Rushmore is a popular destination for riders attending the Sturgis motorcycle rally.
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

Foreigner lead singer Kelly Hansen is surrounded by members of the International Bikini Team as he wraps up a concert at the Buffalo Chip campground outside Sturgis during the 2018 motorcycle rally.
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

Katerina Marie of Atlanta waves to a passer-by while working as a bartender at the Buffalo Chip outside Sturgis during the 2018 motorcycle rally. Marie is also a member of the International Bikini Team that conducts bike washes and bikini competitions during the weeklong event.
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

Mount Rushmore National Monument as seen in the morning light. The carved rock is a different color than the surrounding mountain due to the different amounts of time it's been exposed to the elements.
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

Original members of Foreigner take the stage with current members during a performance on Aug. 4 at the Buffalo Chip campground and concert venue during the 2018 Sturgis motorcycle rally.
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

Richard Rawlings, the owner of Gas Monkey Garage and star of the reality TV show "Fast N' Loud" watches the crowd from his booth along the main street of Sturgis during the 2018 motorcycle rally.
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

Pinstripe artist Keith Eccles of Salt Lake City uses his left hand to stabilize his right hand as he paints a strip on a Harley-Davidson during the 2018 Sturgis motorcycle rally.
Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY

“I got a motorcycle, a wife and a baby all about the same time. … As my kids were growing up, we started out with just little trips around the yard, and then to my parents place a mile down the road. Then the rides got farther and longer,” he said.

“I am very proud of her,” he said about Tessa’s internship with Harley, which was no small feat given that more than 7,500 students from about 30 countries applied for the eight positions.

The internship program is part of Harley-Davidson's efforts to attract younger motorcyclists. The company has other internships, too, in areas such as engineering and human resources.

Harley’s 10-year strategy is to train 2 million new U.S. riders, grow international business to 50 percent of sales and launch 100 new motorcycle models.

Otto’s goals are to finish school this year with a bachelor’s degree in project management, and, hopefully, land a job with Harley.